Sunday, December 31, 2006
Fiestas in August in Playa San Juan, Tenerife
Fireworks by the sea
Fuegos acuáticos en el mar. Fiesta de Santiago, 25 de julio. Puerto de Güímar. Photo: Mataparda.A Secret Tenerife reader, we'll call her Julie :), writes, "About three years ago we stayed in Los Gigantes in August. We took a boat trip to San Juan and watched the most spectacular fire work display from our boat. We think this was to celebrate the fisherman's festival. We want to travel again to Tenerife and hopefully see this festival again. Does the date of this festival change?"
This is indeed a regular date and, in Playa San Juan, is held on the first weekend of August, where, we read, "A lively fiesta lights up the resort in early August when the Virgen del Carmen is taken down to the fishing boats amidst dancing and fireworks."
Firework displays are always amazing in Tenerife and are an integral part of every fiesta and celebration, but the one to which Julie is referring is for the Fiestas del Carmen - in honour of Nuestra Señora del Carmen (Our Lady of Mount Carmel), who "looks after" fishermen.
According to a pious tradition the Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Simon Stock at Cambridge, England, on Sunday, 16 July, 1251. This explains why the rightful day for her festivities is July 16th, but I have yet to discover how she became implicated in the fishing trade and why she is specially venerated in the Canary Islands.
Fiestas del Carmen are held July and August at various locations in Tenerife including; Santa Cruz, Puerto de la Cruz and in Puerto Santiago, near Los Gigantes. The fiestas move on to other towns on other dates, so that they don't all coincide at once, partly so that people can get the most enjoyment and, because the firework providers and the entourage of hot-dog stalls, etc., can't be in two places at once. :)
The Grand Fireworks display in Puerto Santiago, for instance, was held on Saturday 15 July in 2006 and, on 17th July in 2005. Santa Cruz also celebrates this fiesta, on the closest Sunday to the 16th of July, followed by Playa San Juan, on the first Sunday in August and Playa de Alcalá, which, unlike the other two, worships La Virgen de Candelaria. As Los Gigantes Dot Com says:
"The Toste brothers from Los Realejos - the company that puts on the show - did themselves proud, from a set piece depicting our Lady of Carmen which had been floated out on a pontoon, to the non stop eardrum splitting finale that lit up the sky for kilometers around, it was a superb display and a fantastic evening as the party went on until the early hours in the plaza."
Truth is I am biased, as my nextdoor neighbour is related to the Toste brothers, but they do some marvelous displays. (They also supply fireworks to the UK now.)
The reason for mentioning all of these celebrations on the west of Tenerife is that, coming one after the other, there is this tendency for each village to try to outdo the last. Playa San Juan tries to beat the, already grand, Puerto Santiago Fireworks and Alcalá fireworks have the reputation locally of having the biggest display.
So, whether you come for the weekend nearest to July 16th for Puerto Santiago's celebrations, the first weekend in August for those in Playa San Juan or the magical night of August 15th in Playa de Alcalá - the dates do not move further than that - you can be sure of seeing a really grand firework display.
NOTE: Though the actual day of the fiesta is always likely to be the Sunday, the fireworks displays can be expected to be on the Saturday night. In Alcalá too, I am pretty sure I remember that this was always held on the nearest weekend.
These summer festivals are an ideal way of enjoying the holiday side of Tenerife and seeing some of the local traditions at the same time. There is plenty of holiday accommodation available, both in Los Gigantes and actually in Puerto Santiago and, I'm assuming that it's fairly easy to find boats doing this trip, from the marina in Los Gigantes, but if we can get more details, we'll post them here.
Playa San Juan, Santa Cruz de Tenerife y Alcalá
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Photographs of Los Gigantes and Puerto Santiago
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Viking Ship Discovered at Las Teresitas?
Before someone else emails me for an update on the Viking ship. As explained in the final paragraph, this was a JOKE. December 28th, the Day of the Innocent Saints, is the Spanish equivalent of April Fools Day, when the media publishes BOGUS stories, for fun.
The find, they say, would mean completely reframing the idea of Canarian identity.
Just weeks after Santa Cruz mayor, Miguel Zerolo denied "irregularities", a new complication is added to the Las Teresitas case. After months of secret work on the Santa Cruz seafront, experts from the University of La Laguna yesterday confirmed that the remains of a boat, found between rocks on the beachfront, are from a Viking longship. The find has reportedly been carbon dated to twelve centuries old.
The presence of the boat, says the article, is not just an extraordinary archaeological find, but has also "violently shaken" accepted theories on the origins of the ancient Tenerife inhabitants and, would cast serious doubt on the wording in the preamble of the new Statute of Autonomy for the Canary Islands, which maintains that "the prehistoric population of North African origin, had no knowledge of the Roman civilization, nor any other outside influence, until the middle of the 14th Century."
This could dramatically change the use and value of the land at Las Teresitas, if the boat had to be preserved in situ and the area declared of cultural interest. Actually, that would strengthen the Santa Cruz town hall's case for acquiring the land, for its protection and for the probable siting of a future archaeological museum.
Diario de Avisos go on to say that, since the news broke, there has been a deluge of offers to transform the area. Descendants of former Tenerife resident and Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer, the late Thor Heyerdahl, have expressed an interest in starting a new cultural initiative at the Las Teresitas site.
Likewise, they say, Norwegian shipping company, Fred. Olsen & Co, have seen this discovery as being of tourist interest and, also do not discount constructing a fleet of fuel-saving Viking boats to use on their regular routes between islands. Observers of the maritime sector are reported to have said that, "If we resort to the wind and the rowing power of the passengers and, the Government will pay 50% of cost of the tickets, then Canary Islanders will benefit."
On the overpopulation in the Canary Islands and the unstoppable arrival of cayucos full of immigrants from Africa, the issue is brutally clear, according to a quoted leading expert from the Oslo Center of Scientific Studies, who says that, "Canarians should follow the example of the ancient Scandinavians and launch themselves toward the conquest of new territories to inhabit."
It's an old story - the Scandinavian explanation for the "tall and blond" Guanches being just a little too obvious, but the real giveaway was that the reporter was one Erik El Rojo - known to English speakers as Erik The Red. Nevertheless, laced with a number of "truths" and circumstances from various recent real news items, this was one of the cleverest examples of an inocentada - bogus stories that appear in the Spanish media on December 28th, Day of the Innocent Saints.
Expertos de la Universidad hallan restos de un gran barco vikingo en Las Teresitas
Aboriginal Nativity in Garachico
The Hotel La Quinta Roja in Garachico, Tenerife, has a nativity scene on display, until February 2nd, inspired by the pre-hispanic culture of La Gomera. As you can see in the photos that accompany this report from BienMeSabe, all the figures in the model that depicts the rural customs of the ancient Gomerans, right down to Mary, Joseph and Jesus, are goat skin wearing aboriginals; the original inhabitants of the islands.
Nacimiento Aborigen 2006-2007 en Garachico
Tenerife Reggae Splash Festival
Summer is coming early next year ... From 10 p.m. to sunrise on Friday, January 5th, in the Plaza de Candelaria, Santa Cruz, Tenerife, reggae fans will be able to enjoy the first "Tenerife Reggae Splash" festival with Heartical Sound Reggae-Ragga sound system based in Paris, France, the Basque Dub Foundation, Tenerife's own Jah Ras Sound and Jamaican/British, Jah Marnyah. As if quantity was a musical measurement, they promise 14,000 watts of sound and, it's all free!
Santa Cruz celebra la noche de Reyes con el primer ’Tenerife Splash Reggae Festival’
Tenerife Splash Reggae Festival en la Plaza de Candelaria, Tenerife
Tenerife Splash Reggae Festival 07
Unforgettable Night Under the Stars
Superior Spanish soprano, Ainhoa Arteta joined the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra to perform beneath the stars to the assembled audience of around 20,000 people.
The traditional Christmas Concert - which, incidentally, is free to attend - has been held in the open-air in Santa Cruz for the last 13 years and this year was the last for the OST's director of 20 years, Víctor Pablo Pérez. You can certainly say that he went out on a high note, with seriously high quality performances and an atmosphere that could be likened to an alfresco "Last Night at the Proms."
Among pieces performed on this occasion were; Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro", Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries", Brahms' "Hungarian Dance no. 5" and various pieces by Strauss, including "The Blue Danube". For just a taster, you can watch a fragment of video from the concert here, in which Ainhoa Arteta sings, El Arrorró.
Whilst this really first rate concert certainly has to make Tenerife THE ideal place for classical music lovers to spend Christmas, for the atmosphere alone, this has to be one of the top Christmas attractions on the island for anyone visiting.
Just as a point of interest, apparently, a British company, B&M Sound, who are specialists in live classical music gigs, provided the sound for the event.
Víctor Pablo Pérez une a la OST y al público de Tenerife en una sola orquesta
Ainhoa Arteta llenó de calor la noche de Navidad en el puerto santacrucero
El Puerto de Santa Cruz se llenó de sinfonía bajo las estrellas
All change on the busses
Probably, most Tenerife residents and, certainly all tourists, will have little interest in who actually manages the public bus company, just so long as it serves the public by providing a useable service. We shall wait, with baited breath, to see if this change will produce improvements to the service, which, it has to be said - compared to British bus services, at least - are already good. Tenerife busses run closer to timetable and are noticeably clean, while prices are very reasonable.
For getting around as a tourist, i.e. when you're in no particular hurry, Tenerife busses are great. Sadly, there aren't enough buses, often enough, for public transport to yet be a viable alternative to private cars for residents who lead "normal lives" with appointments to keep and work to get to on time, which is probably why 80% of Canary Islands residents use private, rather than public transport.
El Cabildo se hace con la propiedad y gestión de la empresa pública Titsa
Cheap airlines boost overseas house prices
Easier Property report that, "Properties located near airports served by low cost airlines are nearly 40% more valuable than others, according to the results of a landmark survey carried out by Savills Research and Holiday-Rentals.co.uk."
In a quote from the article, Jacqui Daly, of Savills Research comments:
“Interestingly, the established, medium-distance destinations such as Cyprus and the Canary Islands, where the flight time is about 4 hours, achieve the greatest capital value premium because of the availability of low cost flights.”
As more and more cheap airlines offer flights - for around the price of a cup of coffee - to Tenerife and the Canary Islands, this finding brings both good and bad news.
Whilst it will inevitably bring more foreign money into the islands, of course, at the same time, it will rise prices yet further beyond the reach of local people.
Cheap airlines boost overseas house prices
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Bigger Discounts for Canary Islands Residents
The Canary Islands Government yesterday approved an increase in the discount that residents enjoy on sea transport between islands. The residents' discount was previously 45% and is now rising to 50%, effective January 1. A 50% residents' discount on air travel between islands is already available.
Los canarios pagarán la mitad del billete en sus viajes por mar
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Mary Poppins and Los Reyes Magos
Tickets went on sale last week for the annual visit of Los Reyes (The Three Kings) to the Heliodoro Rodríguez football stadium in Tenerife's capital, Santa Cruz, on the night of January 5th. There are processions of Los Reyes in most towns in Tenerife (and, indeed, Spain), but in Santa Cruz, they tend to do it pretty largely.
The show for 2007 is going under the title of "Mary Poppins and Los Reyes Magos", half of which requires no translation and, in which 500 children will participate.
(Modern-day biblical kings have even contracted helicopters to make their grand entrance in the past and they will be arriving by that method again this year, as is confirmed by this report at ABC.) The 22,000 seats are sold, at various offices and the stadium itself, at a token price of one euro (though separate donations above that price are welcomed), all of which goes to benefit seven charity organizations.
It will definitely be a grand show, but there is never anywhere to park in Santa Cruz and the authorities (as do I) recommend that you use public transport if you go.
Las entradas de los Reyes Magos están a la venta desde hoy y costarán un euro
El Gordo Made Millionaires in Tenerife
"El Gordo" the traditional Lotería de Navidad (Christmas Lottery) on December 22nd, was a little kinder to Tenerife this year than it was last year, by distributing a total of 12.1 million euros (in the region of £8 million), to lottery winners on the island. And, for once, the north of Tenerife saw most of that prize money.
In La Guancha, 9 million euros was shared amongst fifth prize winners, the first time that the whole of a winning fifth prize ticket's numbers had been sold in Tenerife.
Meanwhile, in nearby Icod de los Vinos, a family with tickets, purchased in Seville, bearing the first prize number, 20297, won them a reported €2,100,000.
Another million euros was shared out amongst 50 or 60 winning tickets of forth prizes and another 50,000 euros in fifth prizes, in Candelaria, Tenerife.
La Lotería de Navidad deja en Tenerife 12,1 millones de euros
Nueve millones de euros y parte de EL GORDO en Tenerife
El ’Gordo’ se reparte por media España y sólo pasa de puntillas por Canarias
La Lotería de Navidad deja un 'pico' en Gran Canaria y Tenerife
El Gordo de la Lotería de Navidad 2006, para el número 20297
Un ´Gordo´ madrugador, repetido y repartido
Spain gripped by El Gordo
Labels: Christmas
Los Reyes Came Early for one Tenerife Woman
Los Reyes (The Three Kings) don't bring the gifts until Epiphany here - Santa does bring a few on Christmas Eve now - but for one lucky shopper in Santa Cruz, they turned up early this year. Melania Martínez Olivares (29), made one very fortunate 20 euro purchase that turned into 6,000 euros (around £4,000), when she won the traditional Christmas draw, held amongst stores in Tenerife's capital.
The only "problem", was that she had to spend all that money in one ten hour mega shopping expedition, in one day. Just to make it a bit more complicated though, there was a limit of 150 euros that could be spent in any one of the 40 participating shops.
Starting prompt at 10:00 a.m. on December 21st, Ms Martínez, accompanied by two hostesses, enlisted her mother, brother and father to help. Dad got the job of ferrying the morning's parcels home while they took a break for lunch, before continuing into the afternoon's home stretch. The report says that they managed to spend the whole of the 6,000 euros just 15 minutes before the end of the "trial" at 8:00 p.m.
Having completed all of her gift shopping and indulged in her love of shoes, Ms Martínez says even she doesn't remember what she bought, so unwrapping gifts on January 6th will be as much of a surprise for her as it will be for the members of her family. And we all thought that shopping and spending money was easy! :)
Reyes adelantados
Labels: Christmas
Canary Islands add another 183,000 beds
One phrase you are highly unlikely to hear at Christmas in the Canary Islands is that there is "No Room At The Inn", because, as this report at EL DÍA says, since the "moratorium" on building new tourist accommodation came into force in the Canary Islands in 2001, a further 46,253 tourist accommodation places have been created.
To that, can be added the further 137,000 beds in the process of being so, making a total of 183,253 new beds in the archipelago that have eluded the (inappropriately named) moratorium, most of which will be available in the coming months and, which brings the total number of places in the Canary Islands to 543,138.
Whist the biggest growth (by 33%) has been on the archipelago's second-largest island, Fuerteventura, 7,209 of the new places already created are in Tenerife, taking the total number of beds currently available on the island to 128,520.
Las 137.000 camas en trámites de apertura elevan a 183.000 las que eluden la moratoria
Clear Skies and Calima in the Canaries
Canarias7 report that clear skies and calima - or Saharan Air Layer - will predominate in the islands (again) today, with temperatures rising slightly to a minimum of between 17 and 19 degrees centigrade and a maximum of 23 degrees centigrade.
The forecast for the next few days is for very little cloud and very little change.
In another report, elsewhere, sadly that did not include photos, it was reported that dozens of people were sunbathing on the beaches of Adeje, south Tenerife (no doubt, with some clothing on), yesterday on a very warm and sunny Christmas Day.
Hoy predominarán la calima y los cielos despejados en Canarias
Tenerife says Adios to James Brown
As a testament to the breadth of James Brown's worldwide influence, on the front page of the digital edition of Tenerife newspaper, Diario de Avisos, today - immediately after the top story about the King's Christmas speech, but before the one about the Pope's words this Christmas (significantly in ever increasingly secular Spain?) - is the story on the death of James Brown, "padrino" (Godfather) of soul.
Without doubt, Brown's music and life touched millions and inspired generations of artists, black, white and otherwise, but I still find that a surprising editorial order.
(Whilst I am sure English speakers have already seen many stories, Oliver at Soul Sides has poignant words on Brown's passing and BoingBoing covers some of the stories away from the mainstream with James Brown, RIP: Christmas in Heaven.)
Muere a los 73 años James Brown, ‘padrino’ del soul
Monday, December 25, 2006
Tenerife, 25°C for Christmas
Whilst it was fresh and chilly this morning, it is probably getting close to, well 20, if not 25C, even here on the north of the island today.
I'm pretty sure that will suit many people, including my mother who is snoring away on the patio, suitably overfed, even as I type! :)
Checking the webcam at the Canarian Astrophysics Institute observatory this afternoon (see still image, left), we can see that there was certainly no "White Christmas" in Tenerife this year.
There'll be no skiing on Teide today! OK, so the idea is merely a spoof! :)
However, the record remains unbroken, so far (fingers crossed and wood suitably touched) today for the eleventh consecutive Christmas Day (for which I have figures: even more from memory) on which it has never rained in Tenerife.
Best wishes for a very Feliz Navidad - Merry Christmas - Joyeux Noël - Glückliches Weihnachten from a warm and sunny Christmas afternoon in Tenerife.
More webcams in Tenerife
Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias
Labels: Christmas
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Santa Claus Spotted in Icod de Los Vinos
Papá Noel, better known to English speakers as Father Christmas or Santa Claus, who is growing in popularity on these islands - and, some would say, competing with Los Reyes (The Three Kings) who arrive on January 6th - arrived in Icod de los Vinos, before going off to visit millions of homes around the world, with an impressive cavalcade that drew hundreds of spectators from all over the north of Tenerife. Santa's sleigh, pulled by his reindeer, was the finale of a procession that included more than 150 figures, among them; gnomes, elves, Disney characters and a Dixiland band.
Papá Noel desfiló en Icod ante cientos de personas
Labels: Christmas
Secret Christmas Recipes of Tenerife Nuns
Today, the nuns' hand-made Christmas delicacies are only sold to order, since there are not as many nuns as there were in the convent olden times to carry out the necessary work, but those who have tasted these delights certainly don't mind how much they cost, because they have the pure flavour of tradition.
The Santa Catalina nuns are experts in special foodstuffs for Christmas Eve.
An old document from 1767 recounts that the nuns dined on eggs and chocolate and, that on the following day, being Christmas, their menu was based on meat, a fig pudding, roscas de manteca (lard cakes) and mistela. (A type of wine made from a blend of grape must with wine alcohol.) In the past they made deserts, now disappeared, such as one based on rice with sugar, almonds and cinnamon.
The Mother Superior of the Santa Catalina convent, Sister María Cleofé López Lantigua, underlined that they continue to faithfully maintain the Christmas sweet making tradition. Although they used to make more sweets, production has been reduced, attending only to the orders from those persons who collaborate with the convent. This is because, she added, "there are very few nuns to do the work and, given the hours it takes, it isn't profitable." Though she doesn't reject the idea of opening a dulcería in the convent, teaching their culinary arts to youngsters via a workshop and school and, if the authorities don't apply heavy taxes, the money can be a benefit to the community and be used to restore the convent.
The current sweet and pastry maker in the Santa Catalina convent is Sister María Inés de León Domínguez, who is 71 years old. Sister Inés, who was born in La Orotava, learned the art from her grandmother, Remedios Méndez.
Sister Inés has lived in the La Laguna convent for 54 years, delighting many with her culinary magic and special flavours.
One of her principal specialities are rosquetes de vino, which are made with nutmeg, cinnamon, liqueur, flour, lard and salt. Then there are her galletas de leche (milk biscuits), formed with antique metal cutters in shapes of hearts, clubs and half moons, made with oil, butter, flour, milk and almond or coconut.
The mantecados (lard cakes), typical of the Christmas season, Sister Inés makes with lard, lemon, cinnamon, aniseed liqueur, flour, salt and ground almonds and, that are then decorated with a piece of crystallized fruit.
Her rosquetes de palo follow a very ancient recipe, with a paste made with oil, flour, lard and wine, to which is added water mixed with aniseed liqueur. She also makes truchas de batata (sweet potato pies) and tocinos de cielo (caramel puddings).
The star of the Santa Catalina nun's recipes though, is the tarta de almendra (almond tart), which has a crunchy exterior made with almond paste and, which opens to reveal a rich filling made with cabello de ángel (literally translated, this means angel hair and which is a type of pumpkin) and peach.
The Antique Recipe
Sister Inés says that all the sweets described contain a small secret that they guard and underlined that her oldest Christmas sweet, the recipe for which is revealed for the first time to EL DÍA, is the sopa borracha - literally: drunken soup.
This is not a liquid, as the name suggests. The recipe is one of the oldest existing and takes 8 hours to make. The day before, a syrup is made by boiling water, vanilla pods, cinnamon and aniseed. Half of this goes to make a paste by adding almonds. The next day, the delicacy is made with layers of bizcochos de lengua de gato (oval sponge cakes shaped like cats tongues) which are moistened with rum and aniseed liqueur, followed by a layer of the almond paste and continued, alternately, into the form of a cone. The whole is then thoroughly "sozzled" with the cited syrup.
Recetas de las catalinas
Labels: Christmas
Civil Aviation to grant exceptions for typical Canary Islands products in hand luggage?
National Security in Spain seem to have listened to the complaints in the Canary Islands and, it is hoped that, within the next 15 days, an exception to the European rules on liquids in hand luggage, may come into force in the islands.
The European Union anti-terrorist rules that came into force on November 6th, limiting liquids to 100 ml bottles (totalling 1 liter) within a resealable transparent plastic bag, provoked an immediate reaction in the Canary Islands. On November 17th, formal application was made via the Spanish airports authority, AENA, for exceptions to be made to the restrictions to allow Canary made products, such as mojos, honey, almagrote (typical cheese spread from La Gomera), wines and liqueurs. (Pretty obviously, because the restrictions would have a negative impact on sales.)
At the moment, it looks like the initial exceptions may only apply to products such as cheeses and the famous Canarian mojo sauces and their derivatives to be allowed to be carried in hand luggage and, it may depend on where the products are purchased (for instance, on the airport itself) or might only apply to national and not international flights, but we'll keep an eye on the news for clarification and the exact terms, when and if this Canarian exception to the rules comes into being.
Aviación Civil permitirá como equipaje de mano algunos productos típicos
Almost 150,000 to celebrate Christmas in the Air
Not even Christmas stops the frenetic pace of airports all over the world and, more than 1,000 flights (1,008 to be exact) are arriving or leaving the Canary Islands this Sunday, Christmas Eve, with close to 150,000 seats to occupy, which means that a large number of people will celebrate this significant night in a plane.
It may not seem very enjoyable to celebrate the birth of Jesus with the sound of a aircraft engine in your ear or swapping the traditional Christmas supper for, at best, a few salted peanuts, but not everyone gives Christmas the same importance.
Whilst there are various reasons, they say, that someone might fly on this very day; family emergencies, no other dates available or the low prices today, how uncomfortable it might be, depends on the airline you fly with.
You may like to know, for instance, that in tourist class on all Iberia planes, whether you've ordered a meal or not, passengers get a portion of turrón and a glass of cava. In Business Class, travellers get a box of four chocolates and a glass of cava, while in Business Plus, the fortunate few receive four truffles and a glass of cava. And, of course, the captain will wish everyone a Happy Christmas!
All I hope, with over a thousand flights coming and going, is that Air Traffic Control will still have air space over the Canaries for Santa to get around tonight!
Casi 150.000 canarios celebrarán la Navidad en un avión
Tenerife dreaming of a White Christmas
La Opinión report today, that, "Intense rains, low temperatures and snow, have turned many Spanish communities this Christmas Eve into authentic Christmas Card scenes." However, in the Canary Islands, while temperatures have dropped notably, by the end of the day yesterday, there was still no snow on Mount Teide.
La lluvia y la nieve obligan a mantener la alerta en cinco comunidades
Labels: Christmas
All we want for Christmas ...
In a moving note to the press written and signed by the 900 African immigrants currently being held at the Centro de Retención de Extranjeros de Las Raíces (Foreigners Retention Center at Las Raíces, Tenerife), they say:
"We are very tired. We want the Spanish people to know that we do not come to steal, we are not delinquents, we come to work. We ask that King Juan Carlos and President Zapatero grant us liberty as a Christmas present."
Los 900 internos de Las Raíces aseguran que vienen a España para trabajar, no para robar
Labels: Christmas
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Britons on the Beach at Christmas
According to the Mirror, amongst lots of other fascinating figures about how Brits spend Christmas, "115,000 Britons will be spending Christmas on the beach this year, with Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Lanzarote the top three destinations."
XMAS BY NUMBERS
Labels: Christmas
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Canarian Folklore Christmas
Televisión Canaria, at 21:00 tonight are broadcasting a special of their Canarian folk program, La bodega de Julián, dedicated to Chirstmas themes, including carols, customs, fireworks and traditional dances of Canarian Christmas folklore.
The channel broadcasts on analogue throughout the Canary Islands and on TDT in the rest of Spain. TV Canaria also broadcasts two other channels, TV Canaria 2 and the international channel TVCi which broadcasts in North and South America.
Especial de ’La bodega de Julián’ dedicado a la Navidad
Labels: Christmas
Buenavista del Norte publishes guide to pet care
Buenavista del Norte town hall has launched an initiative on responsible pet ownership, designed to put an end to the abandonment of animals. The local corporation is preoccupied by the large number of animals, mostly dogs, that are abandoned in the area each year, which goes against the rights and laws to protect these pets, as well as creating a security and health problem for residents.
El Ayuntamiento de Buenavista del Norte lleva a cabo una campaña de conciencia ciudadana sobre el cuidado de animales de compañía
Canary Islands approve new emergency plan to deal with adverse weather phenomena
The Canary Islands' Government yesterday approved a new plan to deal with emergency situations, such as tropical storms, high winds, torrential rains and heatwaves, among others. New parameters have been established for alerts, with aims to stop emergency responses being "the fruit of improvisation" and provide an adequate level of coordination - to prevent a repeat of the effects of the 2005 storm, Delta. Contemplation is also given to the establishment of alternative methods of communication, informing the public and to the maintenance and reestablishment of basic services, such as electricity, water, telephone systems, etc., in as short a time as possible, so as to avoid interruptions to schools and to daily life in general.
Canarias aprueba un plan específico ante fenómenos meteorológicos adversos
Labels: Tenerife Weather
Monday, December 18, 2006
Christmas Traveller
With the suggestive name of Navidad Viajera (Christmas Traveller) a Tenerife folk group are making a tour with a theatre and music show that brings together Christmas customs in the Canary Islands.
Performances are in Los Realejos, tomorrow, December 19th; in La Orotava on December 22nd; Puerto de la Cruz on December 23rd and will be present at the Misa de Gallo (Christmas Eve Mass) in the area of La Perdoma.
Navidad viajera de Higa
Labels: Christmas
Man charged with in-flight smoking
The Scotsman report that, "A man is set to stand trial charged with smoking aboard an aircraft heading to Glasgow from Tenerife. William Dorans, 60, from Eaglesham in East Renfrewshire, denied the charge when he appeared from custody at Paisley Sheriff Court yesterday." As one commenter says, "Strange, isn't it? A man kept in custody before appearing in court on a charge of smoking on a aircraft, yet they seem to be happy to let murderers, rapists, child molesters and the like, out on bail."
Whilst there may well be much more to the story to warrant detention, it looks like one part of the story we are missing, since smoking appears not to have actually been a danger in all the years it was allowed on flights, is that airlines save money by banning smoking on planes. In actual fact, with air cleaned less frequently, you might want to wish that smoking was still allowed - for the sake of your health.
Man charged with in-flight smoking
Christmas Shopping in Tenerife
The forecast in La Laguna is good and, already many small shops have items reserved for Los Reyes (The Three Kings - who traditionally bring the gifts on January 6th), with the hope that sales will be higher than in 2005.
In Santa Cruz, meanwhile, stores are having to make do with volume only equal to last year's Christmas season and, shopkeepers are worried that sales will be low, with some claiming that the city is in a situation of crisis. Lack of parking or other modes of transport - a tourist shopping bus has been suggested - are amongst reasons why Christmas shoppers find Santa Cruz less convenient.
While in Santa Cruz though, look out for Papá Noel (Father Christmas) inviting shoppers into stores that are participating in a 6,000 euro Christmas Draw.
Los comerciantes de Santa Cruz temen que las ventas de Navidad sean bajas
Labels: Christmas
Not Yer Average Tenerife Experience
I'm pretty sure that the truchas she refers to are Truchas de Batata (Sweet Potato Pies) and may even have been made at the bakery in El Tanque that delivers my bread each morning. I'd never thought of truchas being necessary fuel before, but they are delicious and any excuse is valid to enjoy these seasonal delicacies! :)
Despite the wind and rain they encountered last weekend, "Islandmomma" says that, "We walked for about two hours, along a woodland path which, had it not been for cactus and other more exotic stuff might have been in the English Lake District. We met few, other walkers, so we had that lovely sensation that the world, just for a little while, was all ours."
Not Yer Average Tenerife Experience | More photos at Erjos, Tenerife
Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Historic Traffic Jams in Tenerife
Much has already been said about Tenerife's ever growing car population and the resultant traffic jams, but yesterday saw unprecedented holdups on the island.
Two, unrelated, traffic accidents which occurred on Tenerife's north highway, the TF-5, fortunately did not cause any serious injuries, but did cause interminable jams.
The metropolitan area around Santa Cruz yesterday lived a monumental jam which completely blocked the entrance and exit to the city. On the TV, it was announced that the town hall in Tenerife's capital had called upon residents and workers not to try to leave. Not even the taxi drivers had ever seen anything like it.
Around 13:10, a bus and six vehicles, travelling north on the TF-5 near Guamasa, were involved in a multiple collision. Only one person had to be taken to hospital, with slight injuries. At 14:20 a vehicle turned over, for causes unknown, also on the TF-5, travelling in the opposite direction, towards Santa Cruz, near La Matanza.
Neither of the accidents was serious, but the jams, in both directions, lasted for several hours, coinciding with the evening rush hour.
El gran atasco
2007 Canary Island Festival Of Music
Events in Tenerife for next year's 23rd Canary Island Festival Of Music, will, as before, be held at the Auditorio de Tenerife and the Teatro Guimerá.
Concerts run from January 7th through March 2nd and feature the Tenerife Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Symphony Chorus, the Münchner Philharmoniker, the Helsinki Philarmonic Orchestra, The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra, Slovakian Philarmonic Choir, Chamber Choir of Bratislava and the Berliner Philharmoniker, among others.
Details at the Festival's website Via: gaymengc.com
Friday, December 15, 2006
Nativity Recreates Historic Center of La Orotava
Whilst Gran Canaria may have The biggest traditional Nativity Scene in the Canaries - quite rightly observed that the Nativity Scene or Belén is still centre stage of Christmas displays in Spain, despite the fact that this is an increasingly secular country.
Meanwhile, La Orotava in the north of Tenerife has a Nativity display, housed in the central patio of the Municipal Library (pink building, above, right), inspired by the historic center of the town.
Some of the buildings in this singular scale model are exact replicas of those in La Orotava. One of the buildings represented is the Casa Ponte Fonte (a.k.a. the Casa Lercaro), the 16th and 17th century mansion that is considered by many to be the most representative building of traditional Canary Island style.
The model uses 29,500 tiny tejas (terracotta roof tiles) and natural stone is used to imitate the cobbled streets and patios. Also represented are traditional labours, such as basket making, needlework and street sellers - all down to the finest detail - with even hand made typical costumes on the close to one hundred tiny pottery figures.
The 40 meter square model is on view to the public until January 6th on all days, except December 24th and 31st, including Saturdays and Sundays. Hours are Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 19:00, Saturdays 17:00 to 21:00, Sundays 11:00 to 13:00 and 17:00 to 21:00. On December 25th, January 1st and 6th, 17:00 to 21:00.
The Biblioteca Municipal (Municipal Library) can be found at the old Casino Orotava, right in the historic center, at number 3 in Calle Tomás Pérez: the street which runs down from the Town Hall towards the church of La Concepción.
BienMeSabe have some really lovely photos of the spectacular display with the following report: Espectacular Belén del conjunto histórico de La Orotava
Labels: Christmas
Canarian police caught naked
Still on the subject of masculine eye candy for your visual pleasure, gaymengc.com tell us that, "there’s another fund-raising nude calendar to add to the list….this time featuring naked policemen from Arrecife, capital of the Canarian island of Lanzarote." So far, the calendar is only available in Lanzarote. (Sniff)
Canarian police caught naked
Buenavista Hosts "Mister Norte" Contest
The cine-theatre in the main street of Buenavista del Norte, tonight at 21:30, will be scene of a "beauty contest" for blokes, "Mister Norte 2006". Organized with collaboration from the town hall of Los Silos, eleven candidates will vie for the title in a gala that includes music and dancing. If you can't make the event, you can still drool over the lineup of likely lads and vote for your favorite via the contest website.
Buenavista del Norte acoge el certamen de elección de míster norte
Calima to Affect the Canaries this Weekend
After the high winds and heavy rains of last weekend, the weather in the Canary Islands has made another turn and, this morning the archipelago woke up to a calima - or Saharan Air Layer - that is set to remain throughout the weekend until Monday.
Slight rises in temperature - minimum 17 degrees centigrade, maximum 25 degrees centigrade - are expected, as is a slight reduction in visibility.
As Wikipedia explains, "This phenomenon can happen at any time of year but is usually associated with the hot air found over the islands during the summer months, ranging from a few hours up to a week. Calima is caused by a duststorm that is stirred up by high winds in the Sahara and is then driven over the Canary Islands by south easterly winds. The fine sand particles cause the air to become thick and visibility becomes rather like that experienced during a thick fog, depending on the severity. During the calima, every surface will be covered in fine reddish brown dust."
La calima afectará a Canarias el fin de semana
Labels: Tenerife Weather
Turtle blown off course in storms
The BBC report that, "A 3ft (0.91m) Loggerhead Turtle normally found in warm waters around the Canary Islands has been found stranded on a west Wales beach. It is thought recent stormy weather sent the creature off course."
Turtle blown off course in storms
Labels: Tenerife Weather
Record numbers flying away for Christmas
"Record numbers of passengers are escaping from Norwich over the Christmas and new year period in search of warmer climates. Up to 20,000 people will be flying through the airport in Christmas week, which is at least 2,000 more than last year's total.", report Norwich Evening News. An estimated 2.5 million Brits are expected to go abroad for Christmas. The top destinations include the Canary Islands.
Record numbers flying away for Christmas
Adeje Prohibits Nudism on the Beaches
The objective of these new bylaws is to protect and improve quality for all users and the environment along the coast. On all of the beaches themselves, the practice of nudism is now prohibited, as are massages; something that had recently become popular on the beaches of Playa Fañabé and Bahía del Duque.
The installation of any type of unauthorized building or temporary structure is also prohibited in all of the coastal area of Adeje and beach furniture must be the type accredited by the town hall. Camping is prohibited throughout the year.
Noise or vibration, caused by any means or musical instrument, which could prevent others from enjoying the quiet use of the beach is also prohibited.
Tourist and Environmental councillors also emphasized the prohibition of street selling of food and drink products or products of any other nature. As well as apprehending street sellers, police can now seize and destroy such merchandise.
Other measures include prohibiting access to the beaches to any type of animal and all types of vehicles, except, naturally, emergency and security vehicles.
Leaving or throwing rubbish on the beach is also prohibited and, as well as receiving a fine, offenders will be obliged to clean up. Lighting fires, such as barbecues, using gas stoves or any mechanism that produces a flame is also prohibited.
Beach users may not use soap, gel or shampoo on the sands, in the footbaths or showers in the bathing areas. Motor or sailing vessels may not enter the bathing areas, fishing is prohibited on the bathing beaches and, jetskis and surfboards may only be used in the areas specifically provided for their use.
Fines for breaking these rules, depending on the seriousness of the offence, range from 450 euros to 6,000 euros.
NB: Whilst I would assume that nudism refers to being totally naked and that this prohibition may not extend to forbidding "topless bathing", it is not clear if "any mechanism that produces a flame" might include cigarette lighters.
El Ayuntamiento controlará el uso público de las playas del municipio
Perro de Presa Canario
The breed is originally from the Canary Islands in the 1700s, notably Tenerife and Gran Canaria. Its exact ancestry is unknown, but enthusiasts believe that the Perro de Bardino Majorero, an established farm dog from the Canary Islands, was crossed with the Mastiff and Old-Style Bulldog brought from Europe to the Islands by visitors and colonists.
Perro de Presa Canario
Monday, December 11, 2006
Canary Islands Weather Alert Extended
When the weather boffins on the TV this morning said that the winds were likely to get worse today, they weren't kidding. Just taking the dog 50 yards up the lane was scary and I had to brace myself against rocks at the side of the road a few times as incredible gusts of wind came up the valley and nearly knocked me off my feet.
The same source also said that the winds would begin to drop some time later today, but I cannot, yet, report seeing or hearing any evidence of that happening. Last night and this morning, we suffered many, intermittent, power cuts.
Against the forecast for today, with winds still of up to 90 kilometers an hour, the state of orange alert was extended today throughout the Canary Islands.
Emergency services yesterday received calls relating to fallen trees, street lamps and fences, mostly in the Tenerife districts of Santa Cruz, La Laguna and Guía de Isora.
Spanish Airports Authority (AENA) reported that by 20:00 yesterday, 72 flights had suffered delays owing to the bad weather, although strike by Binter Canarias ground staff also influenced the situation. La Gomera cancelled all four flights programmed.
El viento causa el retraso de 72 vuelos y caída de farolas, vallas y árboles en Canarias
Labels: Tenerife Weather
Ryanair Lands at Los Rodeos
Ryanair (website), the number one low cost airline in Europe, landed for the first time yesterday at Los Rodeos, Tenerife's north airport. Almost an hour early, the Boeing 737-800w, with capacity for 189 passengers touched down on the Tenerife runway at 09:40 on a day that was a little unfortunate, weather wise, in which cold, clouds and wind predominated.
The flight had arrived from Dublin, Ireland, with 141 travellers and took off again at 10:45 with just 53 passengers, despite the fact that the airline is offering tickets at very cheap prices to celebrate the start of its connection with the island.
Ryanair aterriza en Los Rodeos
Gospel Returns to the Auditorio de Tenerife
Patrick Lundy & Washington Gospel Choir will star in the now traditional Gospel concert held each year in December at the Auditorio. Religious music that Lundy strikingly combines with funk and soul in search of a sound full of feeling and rhythm. Auditorio de Tenerife, Wednesday, December 13, 2006 at 21:00 hours.
Patrick Lundy & Washington Gospel Choir
Jonathan Barragan wins the Motocross International Tenerife
Jonathan Barragan has successfully defended his Motocross International Tenerife “GoldenTyre Trophy” title at San Miguel de Abona yesterday (Dec-10) in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 7000. (Look at the blue sky in the photo with the story!)
Jonathan Barragan wins the Motocross International Tenerife
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Canary Islands Weather Alert Continues
The situation of alert remains in force until midnight tonight in both provinces of the Canary Islands. In Las Palmas, mostly for the possibility of Force 8 gales and very rough seas. The orange level alert, declared since 18:00 hours yesterday, throughout the Canary Islands, remains in force in Tenerife because of strong to very strong winds, with gusts of up to 90 kilometers per hour. (You should hear them!)
During the day yesterday, there were rock falls in La Gomera and power cuts in Agulo, Alajeró, Valle Gran Rey, Chipude and Vallehermoso. Further rock falls have been caused on the roads to Boquerón, in Tenerife and Breña Alta, in La Palma.
Tenerife airports, both north and south, at the time this report went to press, were working normally. Only one flight leaving La Gomera has had to be cancelled.
In Las Palmas a boat ran aground. Two of the four occupants were able to reach the coast by their own means, though the other two needed to be rescued.
La alerta por vientos fuertes y mar gruesa se mantiene en todas las Islas
PS: The good news is that with these winds coming mostly from the north, any of you flying south for the winter, should get here that little bit quicker! :) And, whilst the wind and 12 C / 54 F temperatures on the north of the island seem freezing cold to us residents, it is still a nice warm 23 degrees centigrade in the south of Tenerife.
Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias
Labels: Tenerife Weather
Atlantic rowers have counselling
The BBC report that two rookie rowers - Stu Turnbull, from Wiltshire, and Ed Baylis, from Dorset - are set to cross the Atlantic after undergoing couples counselling to ensure they do not fall out with each other during the trip. The pair are due to sail from La Gomera in the Canary Islands, today, Sunday. [Weather permitting.]
Atlantic rowers have counselling
Cruisers Invade Santa Cruz
The port of Santa Cruz in Tenerife, during this early December break (which included the Day of the Constitution on December 6th and the Immaculate Conception December 8th and, during which many Spaniards get away for a pre-season holiday), has been a stop off for six cruise ships, carrying a total of 9,540 tourists.
On Thursday, the first to arrive were the MSC Armonía and the Costa Victoria, with 1,200 and 1,700 passengers, respectively. On Friday, Costa Atlántica with 2,000 tourists and 890 crew, berthed. The ship, which sails under an Italian flag, had arrived from Casablanca. On Saturday, three more ships were due to arrive, AidaBlu, Black Prince and Black Watch, bringing another 5,445 tourists to Tenerife's capital.
Los cruceristas invaden Santa Cruz durante el puente
Tobacco Consumption Reduces by 5% to 7%
So what's the balance as we approach the end of the first year in which the anti-smoking law has been in force in Spain? The law came into effect on January 1, 2006, which prohibited smoking in the workplace and in many bars and restaurants. The initial effects were pretty minor and, it would seem, continue to be so.
According to one report, with figures calculated by National Anti-Smoking Committee, 200 million less packets of cigarettes were sold during Spain in 2006.
While that sounds like a lot, this only relates to a drop in sales of between 5% and 7% compared to the previous year. More telling is that whilst, during the first quarter of 2006, sales were 6% down on 2005 figures, the tendency has moderated until, in October, sales were only 3.7% lower than in the same period of the previous year.
The National Anti-Smoking Committee still call this a "very positive" move towards lowering consumption, reducing smoking-related illnesses and premature deaths.
The fact that tobacco consumption has not reduced further, must, in part, be due to the low prices of cigarettes in Spain. The most popular brand in France, for instance, sells at 4.20 euros (a lot more in the UK), while in Spain the equivalent most popular brand sells for just 2.70 euros (and a lot less in the Canary Islands).
Will Spain ever increase prices as a measure to further reduce consumption, or are the profits generated from the many visitors coming to Spain to buy tobacco at 50% (or more) less than they would pay in their own countries, just too important?
El consumo de tabaco en España disminuye entre un 5% y un 7%
Of the thousand juvenile delinquents in the Canary Islands, less than one hundred are foreigners
There is a certain "rumbling" amongst the Canary Island public that "foreign youths come here and make trouble." There has, indeed, been a case at a south Tenerife school recently, where British kids seem to be causing plenty of it and, I can only assume that this headline sets out to put the matter into perspective.
La Opinión report that there are 1,015 minors that are serving some kind of sentence in the Canary Islands, but that only 96 of them (just eight in every hundred) are foreigners. More than half of these (56) are of Moroccan nationality.
They are followed by Columbians, though in much smaller number (only 13). In the last year also, five Venezuelan minors have been punished by the courts, three Chileans, two British, two English, two Portuguese and two Romanians. The other eleven are from Argentina, Bangladesh, Ecuador, France, Guinea, Ireland, Mali, Dominican Republic, Western Sahara, Ukrane and Uruguay.
There are 577 youths serving non-custodial, tutored, sentences (under probation) in the Canaries, while just 94 are serving custodial sentences for serious crimes.
De mil menores condenados en las Islas, menos de cien son extranjeros
Santa Cruz Carnaval 2007 Fashion Scene
EL DÍA today, report on the forthcoming scenery that will be used for the Santa Cruz Carnaval 2007 events between January 28th and February 15th next year - the theme is Fashion - in particular the Gala for the Selection of the Carnaval Queen.
The 360,000 euro (£243,000) staging, will have, as it's central element, a huge - big enough to walk through - platform shoe with a stiletto heel that will be mirrored - made of reflective material. The shoe will also gyrate through 360 degrees.
For the first time in many years, the candidates for Carnaval Queen will not appear from an entrance at the center of the stage, but from an entrance to the right - in the form of a perfume bottle. After parading for the judges & public on the semicircular stage and, making a 360 degree turn on another turntable, they will return to the dressing rooms via an exit off stage left, made like a big paper shopping bag.
As well as the shoe, the perfume bottle and the shopping bag, other elements of the stage's backdrop will be a magazine cover and a three page interactive magazine, which, when opened will be supported by a lipstick.
There is a small "artist's impression" of the scenery on the front page of today's EL DÍA and more images to come at the Santa Cruz Carnaval's official site.
El tablao de Amargo
Labels: Carnaval 2007
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Weather Alert in the Canaries for High Winds
Government Emergency and Security services in the Canary Islands have declared a situation of alert from 18:00 hours local time today because of high winds that, it is estimated, could reach 90 kilometers per hour. Maximum alert has been established in the province of Las Palmas too, because of Force 8 gales over the sea.
The alert will be maintained until midnight Sunday, before being reviewed.
The Government has issued the usual set of advice to citizens and visitors on the islands, which are; to avoid going outside at all, but that if it is absolutely essential that you must do so, stay away from building sites, buildings in a ruinous condition, walls, trees, billboards (anything that could be detached and fall on you).
Stay away from the sea, especially areas where the waves are breaking and, particularly, do not try to go swimming on remote beaches or beaches that do not have lifeguards. Beaches will display the red flag when bathing is prohibited.
Park vehicles in places where they are protected from the wind and rain. They also advise you not to use light vehicles such as bicycles and motorbikes.
At home, make sure all doors and windows are firmly closed and remove anything from your patio or balcony that could be moved and blown about in the wind.
Pay attention to the information transmitted by the media and try to keep phone lines clear for urgent calls, but if all else fails, in a real emergency, phone 112.
Declarada la situación de alerta en Canarias por fuertes vientos
Alerta en Ias Islas por el viento
Labels: Tenerife Weather
Friday, December 08, 2006
Two Brits held in Raid of 63,000 Ecstacy Tablets
"Two British men are among eight people arrested in a police anti-drugs operation in Gran Canaria. One of them was acting as a courier, having brought in 56,000 Ecstasy tablets from Holland. It's the biggest seizure of the drug ever made in the Canary Islands." [Source] Further details reveal that the pair, identified only as Jason S. (37) and Gary R. (42), were detained during the seven month long Operación Saltamontes (Operation Grasshopper), in collaboration with police units in Tenerife.
Ocho detenidos en la mayor operación de incautación de éxtasis en Canarias
Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias
Follow the Route of the Canary Island Nativities
It's not as organized here as in other parts of Spain, but there's one shop in Tenerife, the "Bazar El Candado" in La Laguna, that sells articles for the nativity year round.
Many private individuals make amazingly detailed models in their homes and open up their doors to anyone who wishes to look round. There are also contests to choose the best nativities and various nativities, made for public institutions to put on display each year. In Santa Cruz this year, there is one at the Cabildo (Island Corporation) building and another in the Canary Islands Parliament.
However, one of the largest and most well known is at the CajaCanarias bank in Santa Cruz, which this year recreates the city in the 18th Century.
It has to be fun - both for adults and children alike - as the write-up says that, "As if by miracle of Christmas, the child Jesus will be born in the capital, Santa Cruz, this year, breathing island air." The model includes several hundred figures, as well as the buildings and live vegetation, plus lights and animation.
It's open to the public at the CajaCanarias headquarters in the Plaza del Patriotismo (bordered by the streets; Valentín Sanz, Ruiz de Padrón, Suárez Guerra, La Luna and La Rosa - see map) from December 1st until January 5th, from 11.30 to 13.30 and 17.00 to 20.30, Monday to Saturday. !0.00 to 13.30 on Sundays.
There are other Nativity displays in most towns on the island and, if you are interested in finding one in your area, or following their route, here is a list.
This year also, the largest Nativity in Spain made of sand is being constructed on the beach of Las Canteras in Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria. Artists from Spain, Russia, Czech Republic, Holland and the United States are using 250 tons of sand to create a work of art that will cover 700 square meters and represent various biblical scenes from the Annuciation to the Birth of Christ and the Three Kings.
CajaCanarias recrea la ciudad de Santa Cruz de Tenerife del S. XVIII
More about Nativity displays in Tenerife, links to nativity photos
Tags: Tenerife, Canary Islands, Canarias
Labels: Christmas
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Choose the Canarian News Image of 2006
Canary Islands newspaper, Canarias 7 is asking their readers to choose the most representative news image of 2006 from among 81 of their news images. Their news slant, obviously, shows a very different selection than our own more touristic photographic offerings, so I thought you might like to flip through them.
The first image in the gallery shows a delightfully informal snap of King Juan Carlos taking a rest on a stone wall during the King and Queen's recent royal visit to all seven Canary Islands. Other themes cover the disappearance of Sara Morales, a young girl in Gran Canaria; the promotion of Gran Canaria football teams, Las Palmas and Vecindario (it will be a LONG time before we see similar images in Tenerife! :-); rain and flood damage; the fire at the Bishop's Palace, Casa de Salazar, in La Laguna, Tenerife, amongst other important news items of the year.
For those who don't speak Spanish: the numbers above the photos will be pretty self explanatory. Foto anterior means previous photo and Siguiente foto means next. Just click on those words to provoke the corresponding action. View photos here.
Elija la foto del 2006
Cruising in the Canaries: Arcadia
As four ships arrived in Tenerife this week and more and more luxury liners call in to these islands, you may be interested in reading this review of one ship that calls into Tenerife, P&O Cruises' Arcadia.
Constructed at the Fincantieri shipyard, just outside Venice, Arcadia is currently the largest ship custom-built specifically for the British market (until P&O's new Ventura comes along in April 2008).
Many years ago I went on a cut price cruise that called into some of the Canary Islands. On that occasion, my cabin was a cupboard next to the boiler room, so I am hardly the right judge, but never let that put you off. We were still waited on hand and foot, there was way too much to do to be in the cabin long enough to notice and, one was always so full of food and drink that you could easily fall asleep anywhere! :)
Life on the ocean wave was one I could certainly get very used to.
And it still surprises me that there are not more cruises here, nor ones that specifically do the Canary Islands, "hopping" around the seven islands.
The review tells us that the most expensive shore excursion offered is the "Tapas in Tenerife" coach tour from Santa Cruz, taking in the Arafo mountain range and Mount Teide in the south and the Esperanza Forest to the north before visiting a wine museum for tapas and a wine tasting, at 46 euros per person.
Perhaps, compared to feeding a dozen for more or less the same price, this seems a lot, but it isn't really for the experience of a day out with transport and food. Besides, if you can afford a cruise, you can afford a 30-ish quid excursion! :)
More photos: Arcadia in Tenerife, during her maiden Atlantic voyage.
Cruise Critic Reviews: Arcadia
The Miracle of Christmas in Tenerife
We all know the original miracle story, but the modern miracle is that it is otherwise difficult to imagine how people in the Canary Islands manage to spend an average of 858 euros (£578 / $1,143) at Christmas, given the average income on this islands.
In Tenerife's poorest area, Daute - which includes the areas of San Juan de la Rambla, Guia de Isora, La Guancha, Icod de los Vinos, Garachico, Los Silos, Buenavista del Norte, El Tanque and Santiago del Teide - the average available monthly income per person is just 468.94 euros (£316 / $622).
The area is the second poorest in the Canary Islands: the dubious accolade of having the lowest average income going instead to the north west of La Palma, whose inhabitants have a mere 423.79 euros each, on which to subsist each month.
Even in Tenerife's richest area, Abona in the south east of the island, average monthly income only reaches 594.36 euros. Those with most money overall in the Canary Islands are in the south of Fuerteventura with 746.06 euros (£504 / $992).
There are three possible explanations that could account for this "miracle of accounting", apart from superb money management, stretching the cost of Christmas throughout the year, or borrowing heavily to cover the seasonal excesses.
One is "black money" that doesn't show up in official income figures and, this undoubtedly exists to some extent. Some of those in work may, legitimately, get 13 or 14 salary payments a year, one of the extras coming at Christmas. The other fact, common with the rest of the world is that the richest 2% own 'half the wealth'.
But, whichever way you cut it, making end meet with these general levels of income, at any time, but especially at Christmas, has to be a true miracle.
In other news, Buenavista town hall is opening a satellite office at the Teno Rural Park offices in El Palmar for residents in the higher areas of the district who have difficulty reaching the town center. It is only a couple of miles, so it would seem impossible that anyone could have this difficulty in the 21st Century, but mountain roads, lack of public transport and the severe lack of resources begins to explain why.
Labels: Christmas
Icod Gets Monument to the Tablas de San Andrés
Last week's celebrations of San Andrés - the eve of Saint Andrew's day - which feature the tasting of the new wine, the opening of the bodegas and the curious Tablas de San Andrés (kamikaze sliding) in Icod de los Vinos and, the Festival of Pots or Chestnuts in Puerto de la Cruz, were topped off with the inauguration of a monument dedicated to the tradition the Tablas de San Andrés at the side of the Casa de los Cáceres, opposite the Plaza de Andrés de Lorenzo Cáceres.
Inaugurado en Icod el monumento que homenajea a las Tablas de San Andrés
Buenavista Golf Awarded National Prize
The judges applied three fundamental criteria in their decision; the construction of the course, its management and sensitivity of the entity towards its users. They judged Buenavista Golf as a clear example of an institution with a high level of environmental respect. Buenavista Golf borders the Teno Rural Park. The course optimizes landscaping questions, with spectacular views over the Atlantic Ocean.
EL Campo Buenavista golf, galardonado con el Premio Nacional
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Solar-Powered Catamaran Begins Transatlantic Voyage
Green Car Congress report that the catamaran, "Sun21 is following Christopher Columbus’ historic route to the Americas, including the departure from the Spanish port of Chipiona. The next port of call for Sun21 will be the Canary Islands. It is scheduled to arrive at Lanzarote by the end of this week. A stop-over in Tenerife is planned for mid-December before the boat heads for the Cape Verde Islands."
Solar-Powered Catamaran Begins Transatlantic Voyage
Concentration Camp at Fyffes, Tenerife
Tenerife, campo de concentración de FyffesNot all of Tenerife's "secrets" are pleasant ones, of course, as this image shows us clearly. It is of the first Spanish concentration camp, installed in the British company, Fyffes', banana packing plant in Santa Cruz in Tenerife.
(The Fyffes Banana Company bought their first terraces on Tenerife in 1922, in Santa Úrsula, and built galleries to provide water to the crops.)
Thousands were imprisoned there, in inhuman conditions, after Franco's coup in 1936 - launched from the Canary Islands on July 18th of that year - during the Spanish Civil War and beyond.
Spanish writer and poet, Pedro García Cabrera, who was born in Vallehermoso, on the island of La Gomera, was imprisoned at Fyffes in 1946 (after initially escaping and being re-caught), showing that it was in use as a prison for many years.
In the Canary Islands, there wasn't a Civil War, exactly, but there was massive repression that cost many lives. Many of those who sympathised with the opposition were either taken out and shot, or "mysteriously" fell into the sea. But, as well as the deaths, an estimated 4,000 were imprisoned, mostly without trial.
Some 2,000 political prisoners were held at Fyffes. Unlike many of the other prisons, there was no forced labour on site at the Fyffes plant (only because of its location). Instead, prisoners were taken to Los Rodeos and Granadilla and forced to work on various public works, such as the construction of the roads up to Mount Teide.
Remember that, next time you drive up to admire the scenery!
Tenerife: la carretera del Teide, los miles de prisioneros republicanos olvidados
Pedro Guerra dirige 'Huesos', un relato de la Guerra Civil en Canarias
Pedro García Cabrera El compromiso y el paisaje
En Canarias aún hay miedo a hablar sobre la Guerra Civil
Franquismo en Canarias
La memoria silenciada
Plátano de Canarias
Stepping back in time in Tenerife
La Laguna (Tenerife) vivienda de magos (campesinos)Tim posted the photo (below) of the delightful little thatched cottage that is now part of a restaurant in the area of Pinoleris, near La Orotava. He says that, "We ate there for our first time during the Romeria.. we were all dressed up eating in that little farmhouse, it was like stepping back in time." He wasn't wrong!
Winery Farmhouse
The old image (above right) shows the exact same kind of dwelling in times past, this time in La Laguna, with the country folk all dressed up in their traditional costumes, presumably "for real" - their normal dress - and not just for the fiestas.
Tim also says that, "It's definitely worth checking out. 50-ish euros fed 12 of us.. and it was with high quality food and lots of it!" That is a laughable £35-ish quid, which seems to suggest to me that their price list is stuck in a time warp too!
Santa Cruz mayor denies taking backhanders
High Court judge, Baltasar Garzón, has ordered a full investigation into the granting of licences to build a marina in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and to develop two plots of rural land in the Tahodio valley. Among those under investigation for "allegedly requesting or receiving quantities of cash" are Santa Cruz mayor, Miguel Zerolo and the president of Santa Cruz port authorities, Luis Suárez Trenor.
Santa Cruz mayor denies building bung charges
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
The Fortunate Cruise into Tenerife
Cuatro cruceros arriban al puerto de Santa Cruz con 6.700 pasajeros
Sunday Opening in time For Christmas
In fact, Canarians, along with people in the community of Extremadura, spend the least during the Christmas season in Spain, but here, like everywhere else in the world, the celebration of Christmas and shopping have been converted into complimentary activities, with advertising occupied with convincing people to participate in the fiestas and buy everything at all costs.
Men are more practical when it comes to giving gifts, with 63% opting for useful items, against 37% who choose something more original. Only 2% opt for the cheapest gifts! No surprises also that women spend more time on the Christmas Shopping and, that both sexes choose to give gifts of clothing and shoes (20%), perfumes (9%), jewelry and watches (8%) and for a fortunate 8%, holidays.
After the big spending spree for Christmas and Los Reyes (The Three Kings) on January 6th is over, the sales will start in Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro on January 11th and run until March 10th.
Abiertos por domingos
Canarias y Extremadura, las comunidades menos consumistas en Navidad
Gomeran wines are going bananas
The insular bodega managed by the Island Corporation of La Gomera is working on a world first - banana sparkling wine. Various banana liqueurs are already sold in the archipelago, but this novelty seeks to open new markets to the local producers and to offer an alternative product, both to agriculture and to the 12 million tourists who visit the Canary Islands each year.
Una bodega de La Gomera elabora el primer vino espumoso de plátano
Sunday, December 03, 2006
One hundred years of rural customs
San Cristobal de La Laguna, 1910, campesinos en las faenas de la trilla.
Originally uploaded by Photospain.
Compare that to the photos taken at this year's Dia de la Trilla (Threshing Day) at the country fair in El Palmar. Here we have two lady oxen, yoked and ready to go to work, just as they were in the 1910 photo and, two more here just beginning on the task.
Horses are also employed. Although this is done as part of the fiesta, as a means to keep the old traditions alive and as an exhibition, this is still the annual threshing co-operative, where locals bring their harvest for "mass" processing.
Canaries search for a cloud of locusts
Canary Islands security immediately sent out an emergency helicopter that searched the archipelago's coasts from north to south for more than four hours, looking for these pests, which, if they arrived onshore, could devastate crops.
But the search was fruitless. The extensive black cloud that they expected to encounter, had been swallowed up by sea or sky. Just a short distance from the coast where the helicopter had searched, a group of kids, training at the football ground at La Madera, in Vecindario, Gran Canaria, found only a few stragglers.
Se busca nube de langostas
NB: If you use an automatic translator, it will tell you that langostas means lobsters and it does, but I think we can be sure that those are not flying around in a cloud! :)
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Throw another turkey on the barbie
Well, it looks like it is going to be another bumper Christmas Season - or bumper exodus from Britain anyway - and, the top choice amongst the 52% who choose to get away to winter sun destinations, is, once again, the Canary Islands.
It pains me, however, to read that "Places like Canary Islands are really popular because they are hot but cater for the British," says a spokeswoman for ABTA.
Are British holidaymakers really just an unadventurous lot, who want all the same things they could have had in Britain, only with sun, or is it simply that they do not know about the alternatives and would try them, if they did?
Locals here are probably more likely to throw a small goat on the barbie and, I know it is difficult to absorb a whole new culture in only one or two weeks, but there is so much more that one can experience in the Canary Islands at Christmas.
If you fall into the latter category, here are just a few ideas.
HMS Bounty to Revisit Tenerife
Photo: HMS Bounty Organization, LLCThe BBC report that HMS Bounty, the tall ship which stars as the Black Pearl in the second and third instalments of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, starring Johnny Depp, is setting sail for Cumbria.
Built in 1962 for the film Mutiny on the Bounty, starring Marlon Brando, the ship is due to arrive in August 2007.
Later, "HMS Bounty will visit Liverpool, Bristol and London before setting sail from Portsmouth to re-create the original Mutiny on the Bounty voyage to Tahiti via Tenerife, Cape Town and New Zealand," says the report.
The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty, tells us that Bounty departed England on December 23, 1787 and, after a rough passage, arrived at Santa Cruz, in Tenerife.
Black Pearl sets sail for Cumbria
The difference between lucky and very lucky
When The 22nd Palma Canaria Norte Rally whizzed through the valley and right past my house, by complete surprise, back in May, I had some words to say about safety and marshalling - or the lack of it. There were people sitting on barriers, on the "business side" of them, or just wandering about the route like lost sheep.
Watch this short video of rally action somewhere on Canary Island roads (probably in the mountains of Tenerife, I think) and you'll see exactly what I mean.
These meandering spectators were lucky. Even when there are stewards, it pays them to stay behind natural barriers. A driver was killed in the Subida a Tamaimo this year. I hope this driver was OK. You know, it can't do the trees much good either!
Labels: Tenerife Rally
Friday, December 01, 2006
AIDS Day in the Canary Islands
The majority of you will probably be aware that today is World AIDS Day. This article tells us that between 120 and 130 people are diagnosed with the HIV virus in the Canary Islands each year.
The good news (if there can be any) is that the prevalence of the disease in the archipelago, at 21 cases per million inhabitants, is well below the national average of 34 cases per million.
The bad news is health services calculate that thirty people are infected each year, but that many do not know until years later, when they begin to develop the disease, meaning that the mortality rate remains high. Since they began counting in 1984, 1,953 cases of AIDS have been registered in the Canary Islands, 40% of whom have died.
Most cases have, until recently, been men, but health services are advising that infection is now progressing to women and that infections via heterosexual contact have increased. Three out of four infections, both in men and women, are via sexual contact and, the most affected group are aged between 20 and 40 years.
The Health Council in the islands is taking a three-pronged approach with respect to their campaign for World AIDS Day this year; respect for those who have HIV/AIDS, promotion of condom use and the necessity of testing to prevent the current situation where people are finding out too late, after the disease has developed.
Dos de cada diez infecciones de Sida en Canarias no se diagnostican hasta años después
Good girls go to heaven, bad girls go to ...
Strelitzia T-Shirt | More Designs HereActually, this post, Been there, done that, got the t-shirt to prove it, at the Lonely Planet Travel Blog says that they go to Amsterdam, but I think quite a few of them us come to Tenerife.
And I also have absolutely no doubts whatsoever that there is a tacky T-Shirt for sale with (un)suitable wording to prove it, somewhere on this island. :-)
We deliberately designed most of our T-Shirts to avoid that tackiness (maybe this was a mistake), using our own exclusive images (on white) and other designs.
But, since it's the season, may we also point you to the fact that we also have some fun Tropical Christmas designs and one or two with daft slogans here too!
Whether you are a good girl, or bad girl (or boy) and, whether you've been to Tenerife or not, you can still have tasteful or tacky souvenirs to amaze your friends with. :)
Visit the Secret Tenerife Souvenir Shop here
